1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the technical field of augers which are rotatably driven within a tube for trnasporting bulk materials such as grains, corn, sawdust, beans, silage, ear corn, husks, cobs, etc., through the tube. More particularly, the present invention relates to a toothed belt drive system which is used for rotatably driving the auger within the tube and which is reliable, long lasting and requires minimum maintenance.
2. Background
Augers are today commonly used for moving bulk free-flowing granular material such as grains, corn, sawdust, beans, etc. as well as non-free-flowing material such as silage, ear corn, husks, cobs, etc. Such augers can be powered with electric motors, hydrocarbon engines, the power take-off (PTO) of a tractor and other such power sources. The power source is typically coupled to the auger through gear boxes and sprocket and chain assemblies for selectively rotatably driving the auger within its tube and for thereby transporting/moving the bulk material through the tube.
Although the known augers function generally well for their intended purpose, a need exist for a more reliable, low maintenance, long lasting and relatively cost effective auger assembly.